Foot-power brake



Jan. 15, 1924. 1,480,669

J. L. CQLVIN v; FOOT POWER BRAKE Filed Nov. 24 1920 gimualnz efames (bZzz'n Qtkunugi Patented Jan. 15, 19249 UNITED STATES JAMES L. GOLVIN, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

room-rowan BRAKE.

Application filed November 24, 1920. Serial No. 426,270.

T all whom it may concern.

Be it known that LJAMns L. CoLvrN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Laokawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot- Power Brakes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable other skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in brakes and more particularly to the mode of operating a brake on a railway car orthe like. The main object of this invention is theprovision of means for operating a brake by foot pressure whereby the brakeinan can readily operate the brake by engaging his foot with a suitable foot treadle and pressing downwardly upon the same whereby to rotate the brake shaft and apply the brake. Suitable means is also provided for retaining the brake shaft against rotation to unwind the brake, said 7 means being readily released when it is desired to release the brake. Another object of the present invention is the provision of a foot operating brake mechanism which is to be used in replacing the old and well known form of hand operated brake and is arranged in such a position with respect to the car that during the operation of the device, the person operating the same will have free use of both hands to hold himself in position upon the end platform of the car while operating the brake whereas in the old hand operated style, the operator only had the use of one hand to retain himself in position and sometimes had to use both hands in operating the brake.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrange- 45 ment of parts hereinafter more fully set forth pointed out in the claim and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevationof a portion of one end of a railway car illustrating the application of my improved brake mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the different positions ofthe foot treadle which operates the brake shaft and the pivoted pawl which retains the shaft against movement after the brake has been applied;

Fig. 4 is a detail elevation illustrating the relative positions of the pawl and handle for operating the same when engaging the ratchet;

Fig. 5 is a similar View illustrating the positions assumed by the pawl and handle when out of engagement withthe ratchet;

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the handle member which operates the pawl;

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the p Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the arm upon which the foot treadle is mounted; and,

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the pawl'carried by the arm and which engages the ratchet for rotating the main gear to impart movement to the brake shaft.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings accompanying this application the numeral 1 indicates the body of a well known type of railway car having attached to one end thereof the vertically spaced supports 2 upon which is mounted a platform 3, said platform being supported in position by means of the brackets 4:. It will be noted that in arranging the uprights 2 in position upon the ends of the cars it is preferred to have them arranged adjacent the step members 5 so that the brakem'an can readily ascend the steps 5 onto the platform 3.

The operating mechani'smis supported in position upon the platform 3 by means of an angular bracket 6, the horizontal portion of which rests upon the upper face of the shelf 3 and secured thereto in any suitable manner. The brake shaft 7 extends up through the platform 3 andthe-horizontal portion of the bracket 6 and is provided up on its upper end with a beveled gear 8 adapted to mesh with a similar gear 9 which is mounted upon a shaft 10 supported by the bracket 6 and disposed in such position that the teeth thereof will engage the gear 8 to rotatethe brake shaft upon rotation ofthe gear 9.

In order to impart rotation to the gear 9 an arm 11 is mounted upon the shaft 10 and connected with. the gear 9 in any suitable manner, said arm being provided with a bearing 12 whereupon thesame will readily swing upon the shaft 10 for rotating the gear 9. The outer end of the armis provided with a foot piece 13 adapted to be engaged by the foot of the operator to press -the same downwardly from the position will'engage with the gear 8,'thus imparting y a rotary movement to the shaft 7.

The pawl 14 is provided with an out wardly projecting arm 17 which in its normal operating position lies parallel with the arm 11, the weight of-said arm engaging the pawl 14 with the ratchet teeth 16 upon downward movement of the arm 11 to im part a rotary movement to'the gear 9. In order to. return the arm 11 to its normal position illustrated in Fig. 2, a suitable weight 18 is attached to the end of the arm 11 opfpositethe foot piece 13. so that when the operators foot is removed from the foot piece 13 upon completing the downward movement of the arm 11, the weight 18 will return the arm to its normal position illustrated in Fig.2 and also in dotted lines in Fig. 3. In order to disengage the pawl 14 from the ratchet teeth 16 upon upward movement of the arm 11, a plate 19 is attached to the upright portion of the bracket 6, the outer end of said plate being substan 'tially reduced to provide a finger 20 which is ofiset with respect to the plate 19 and is adapted to engage the projected side portion 21 of the pawl 14 upon the upward movement of the arm 11 whereby to disengage the pawl from the ratchet teeth 16, this movement being clearly illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. It will be noted from the construction of the pawl 14 that the point which engages the ratchet teeth 16 is substa'nti-ally thicker than the main body of the pawl to provide the projecting sideportion 21 which is adapted to be engaged by the finger 20 'to force the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet teeth 16 upon the upward movement of the arm 11.

In order to retain the gear-9 against backward movement after the brake has been applied, or during the application of the brake, a pivoted pawl 22 is mounted upon theshaft 23 carried by. the upright portion of the'bracket6, the movement of said pawl being controlled by means of the lever 24. The lever 24 is provided at its inner end with afsleeve 25 'lhavinga cutaway ,po'rtion'26 provided with inclined faces 27 arranged upon each 'side of the shaft 23 and adapted to engage the inclined side walls of the shaped recess 28 formed within the lower face of the pawl 22. It will be noted that the body of the pawl 22 is slightly larger in thickness than the engaging portion so that suflicient material is provided for to form the recess 28 to i'eceive t'he portion 26 on the lever 24.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated in full lines, the pawl 22 engaged with the ratchet teeth 16 to prevent backward movement of the gear 9 and in this position, one of the inclined faces 27 is engaged with one of the inclined faces of the recess 28 so that the weight of the lever 24 will tend to retain the pawl into engagement with the ratchet teeth 26 as it will be noted that when the pawl is in this position, the lever 24 will be disposed in an inclined position upon-one side of the shaft 23. In dotted lines in Fig. 3, I have illustrated the pawl 22 disengaged from the ratchet teeth 16 and the lever 24 disposed in an inclined position opposite to the position shown in full lines when the pawl is engaged, the weight otthe lever thus retaining the pawl out of 'engagement with the ratchet teeth 16 so that the brake shaft'w ill be permitted to rotate in a direction to release the brake. In order to prevent the lever 24 from swinging beyond a predetermined position, a pin 29 is arranged in the upright portion of 'the bracket 6 to provideastop to thus limit the swinging movement of the lever. It will be noted that the lever 24 is provided at its outer end with-a handle portion 3O whereby this lever can be readily operated 'to engage ordisengage the pawl 22 with the teeth 16.

From the above description taken 'in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will'be readily apparent that'when it is desired to apply the brake, the brakeman will position his foot upon the foot piece 18'and by pressing downwardly upon the outer end of the arm 11, the pawl 14 will engage the ratchet teeth 16 and tend to rotate thegear 9 which in turn will rotate the shaft 7 to apply the brake. In order to retain the gear 9 against backward movement, the le ver 24 is swung to the position illustrated in full lines in Figs. 2and 3 so that the pawl 22 will engage the ratchet teeth 16 and retain the gear 9 against backward move ment when the arm 11 is returned to its-normal position illustrated in Fig. 2 so that further strokes of the arm 11 can be carried out until the shaft 7 has been rotated sulficiently to apply the brakes. When it is desired -to release the brakes, the brakeman can either manipulate the lever 24 with his hand or by givingthe same akick with his foot release the pawl 22 from the ratchet 16. Should he be unable to disengage the pawl 22 from the ratchet 16 in the manner described above, the outer end of the arm 11 will be compressed so as to rotate the gear 9 sufficient to permit the pawl 22 to be readily released from the ratchet 16 so that when the arm 11 is released, the brake shaft will rotate in a direction to release the brake.

If so desired, suitable means may be provided for enclosing the mechanism described above to protect the same from the weather and also to prevent displacement of the parts, said means being in any suitable form of housing, if desired.

What I claim is: y

In a brake comprising a supporting bracket, a brake shaft, a bevelled gear carried by the end of said shaft, a stub shaft disposed at right angles to the, brake shaft, :1 bevelled gear mounted upon the stub shaft and engaging the gear on the brake shaft, and a ratchet on the periphery of the second gear; a double armed lever pivoted upon the stub shaft and normally disposed in an inclined position relative the horizontal with one end above the shaft, means carried by the lever for engagement with the ratchet whereby to rotate said gears upon the application of pressure to the upper end of said lever, means carried by the end of said lever arm for returning the same to its normal position upon release of the pressure, means engaging said ratchet to prevent backward movement of the gears and a finger carried by the supporting bracket to contact and disengage the ratchet engaging means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. JAMES L. COLVIN. 

